Multilingual native language identification

AbstractWe present the first comprehensive study of Native Language Identification (NLI) applied to text written in languages other than English, using data from six languages. NLI is the task of predicting an author’s first language using only their writings in a second language, with applications in Second Language Acquisition and forensic linguistics. Most research to date has focused on English but there is a need to apply NLI to other languages, not only to gauge its applicability but also to aid in teaching research for other emerging languages. With this goal, we identify six typologically very different sources of non-English second language data and conduct six experiments using a set of commonly used features. Our first two experiments evaluate our features and corpora, showing that the features perform well and at similar rates across languages. The third experiment compares non-native and native control data, showing that they can be discerned with 95 per cent accuracy. Our fourth experiment provides a cross-linguistic assessment of how the degree of syntactic data encoded in part-of-speech tags affects their efficiency as classification features, finding that most differences between first language groups lie in the ordering of the most basic word categories. We also tackle two questions that have not previously been addressed for NLI. Other work in NLI has shown that ensembles of classifiers over feature types work well and in our final experiment we use such an oracle classifier to derive an upper limit for classification accuracy with our feature set. We also present an analysis examining feature diversity, aiming to estimate the degree of overlap and complementarity between our chosen features employing an association measure for binary data. Finally, we conclude with a general discussion and outline directions for future work.

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How cognitive typology affects second language acquisition: A study of Japanese and Chinese learners of English

Cognitive Linguistics ◽

10.1515/cog-2013-0024 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 689-710 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ryan Spring ◽

Kaoru Horie

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Native Language ◽

First Language ◽

Learning Curves ◽

Third Language ◽

Chinese Learners ◽

Language Type

AbstractThis study looks at the effect of one's first language type, as proposed by Talmy (2000) and Slobin (2004), on their second language acquisition. Talmy (2000) gives an account of languages as being either verb-framed or satellite-framed based on how path and manner of motion are encoded in motion events. Meanwhile, Slobin (2004) argues for a third language type, which he calls equipollently-framed. This study compares and contrasts the learning curves of equipollently-framed language (Mandarin Chinese) native speakers and verb-framed language (Japanese) native speakers as they learn a satellite-framed language (English). It examines not only the learner's pattern preferences, but also their manner of motion encoding preferences and deictic verb usage to show that there is a clear difference in how the two groups of learners acquire a second language of a different type from their own native language.

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Influence of Behaviourist and Cognitivist Theories in Adult Language Acquisition

ELSYA : Journal of English Language Studies ◽

10.31849/elsya.v3i1.5620 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 38-44

Author(s):

V Devaki

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Native Language ◽

First Language ◽

Great Influence ◽

Logical Thinking ◽

The Difference ◽

High Level ◽

Cognitive Influence

Linguistics and psychological schools of thought had a great influence on language acquisition theories It is still under discussion whether second language acquisition is easy or effortless for adults to learn or not. In non-teaching environments, children can learn their native language quickly, whereas adults cannot. Many researchers believe that adults can quickly acquire a second language due to their high level of cognition clear, logical thinking and strong self-observation skills, while some linguistics researchers consider that it is difficult for adults to develop a second-language acquisition. Therefore, this paper explores to what extent the theories of behavioral and cognitive influence adult acquisition in the second language process. This study considered that these theories have highlighted the difference between the way that children and adults learn to the point that adults appear to “lift the bar” unrealistically when they try to learn an additional language. The novelty of this study is in how the analysis gave a new direction for adult language acquisition theorists to guide adults to mimic children’s way of acquisitioning their first language.

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Dutch gender in specific language impairment and second language acquisition

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658308090184 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 333-364 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Antje Orgassa ◽

Fred Weerman

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

First Language ◽

Cumulative Effect ◽

Adult Group ◽

Specific Language ◽

Language Groups ◽

Adjectival Inflection

In this article we compare five groups of learners acquiring Dutch gender as marked on determiners and adjectival inflection. Groups of L1 (first language) children and L1-SLI (first-language specific-language-impairment) children are compared to three Turkish-Dutch L2 (second language) groups: adult L2, child L2 and child L2-SLI. Overall, our findings show that gender is vulnerable in both SLI and L2 groups. More particularly, they suggest that all child groups basically make the same type of errors and that they all differ from the adult group. It is suggested that any differences between the child learners can best be understood in terms of factors that influence intake (in both SLI and L2) rather than in terms of access to grammatical principles: SLI children have a (major) processing deficit and L2 children have received less input to Dutch, both factors causing poorer intake. That problems with the intake are crucial is further supported by the clear cumulative effect of bilingualism and SLI: the L2-SLI group not only differs from the child L2 controls but also from the Dutch L1-SLI group.

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Are stories just as transporting when not in your native tongue?

Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/langcog.2019.15 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (02) ◽

pp. 285-309

Author(s):

ASHLEY CHUNG-FAT-YIM ◽

ELENA CILENTO ◽

EWELINA PIOTROWSKA ◽

RAYMOND A. MAR

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Processing ◽

English Language ◽

Native Language ◽

First Language ◽

Emotional Reactions ◽

Language Groups ◽

English Fluency ◽

Short Films ◽

Text Study

abstractWe spend much of our time consuming stories across different types of media, often becoming deeply engaged or transported into these stories. However, there has been almost no research into whether processing a story in one’s non-native language influences our level of transportation. We analyzed three existing datasets in order to compare engagement with English-language stories for those who reported English as their first language and those who reported English as their second language. Stories were presented as text (Study 1), audio (Study 2), and short films (Study 3). Across all studies, equivalent levels of narrative transportation between language groups were found, even after accounting for age and years of English fluency. These results are in contrast to some previous proposals that emotional reactions are attenuated during non-native language processing, despite equivalent levels of comprehension. Our evidence indicates that individuals processing a narrative in their second language feel just as transported into the story as those processing the same narrative in their native language.

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Inhibiting Your Native Language

Psychological Science ◽

10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01844.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 29-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 118

Author(s):

Benjamin J. Levy ◽

Nathan D. McVeigh ◽

Alejandra Marful ◽

Michael C. Anderson

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Native Language ◽

First Language ◽

Native English Speakers ◽

Language Attrition ◽

First Language Attrition ◽

Probe Test ◽

Induced Forgetting ◽

Phonological Retrieval

After immersion in a foreign language, speakers often have difficulty retrieving native-language words—a phenomenon known as first-language attrition. We propose that first-language attrition arises in part from the suppression of native-language phonology during second-language use, and thus is a case of phonological retrieval-induced forgetting. In two experiments, we investigated this hypothesis by having native English speakers name visual objects in a language they were learning (Spanish). Repeatedly naming the objects in Spanish reduced the accessibility of the corresponding English words, as measured by an independent-probe test of inhibition. The results establish that the phonology of the words was inhibited, as access to the concepts underlying the presented objects was facilitated, not impaired. More asymmetry between English and Spanish fluency was associated with more inhibition for native-language words. This result supports the idea that inhibition plays a functional role in overcoming interference during the early stages of second-language acquisition.

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Existence and consequences of dormant features: Evidence from L2 acquisition of Chinese object ellipsis

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/02676583211066293 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026765832110662

Author(s):

Lulu Zhang

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Native Language ◽

First Language ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Chinese Learners ◽

L2 Chinese ◽

Disconfirming Evidence ◽

L1 English

The current study investigates second language acquisition of Chinese object ellipsis to probe the development of features transferred from learners’ native language without robust confirming or disconfirming evidence in the second language (L2) input. It is argued that Chinese allows object ellipsis licensed by a verb with a [VCase] feature but not by a verb with a [Vnon-Case] feature. In contrast, Korean allows object ellipsis to be licensed by both types of verbs, whilst English prohibits both. An acceptability judgement task was conducted among first language (L1) English and L1 Korean L2 Chinese learners from elementary to advanced levels, with the results showing that the [Vnon-Case] feature was assembled in the Chinese grammars of English and Korean elementary L2 learners; however, it gradually lost its vigour and licensing power for object ellipsis in intermediate L2 grammars and was successfully removed from licensing object ellipsis in advanced L2 grammars. These findings support predictions by Yuan regarding a feature’s dormant status and modify Yuan’s predictions regarding a dormant feature’s consequences.

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The effect of modality on a grammaticality judgement task

Second language Research ◽

10.1191/026765897671676818 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 34-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Victoria A. Murphy

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Universal Grammar ◽

First Language ◽

Auditory Task ◽

Visual Condition ◽

Language Groups ◽

English Second Language ◽

Wh Questions

Typical experiments investigating the accessibility and/or role of principles of Universal Grammar (UG) in adult second language acquisition (SLA) use a written grammaticality judgement (GJ) task to infer knowledge of principles of UG. This investigation examined whether subjects would judge sentences differently in the aural modality from the visual. It was hypothesized that subjects in the aural condition would be less accurate and slower at judging sentences than subjects in the visual condition. Four language groups were tested: ESL (English second language), FSL (French second language), L1.E (English first language) and L1.F (French first language). Subjects were assigned to either an aural or a visual condition. The target sentences presented to the subjects were declarative sentences involving embedded questions, as well as ungrammatical wh-questions which violated Subjacency. The presentation times for all sentences were matched across conditions. Accuracy and reaction time to grammaticality judgement were measured. The hypothesis that subjects would be slower and less accurate in the aural condition than the visual one was supported. Furthermore, subjects were less accurate and slower to judge violations of Subjacency than other sentences, in both modalities. The detrimental effects of the auditory task on judgements were most pronounced for the L2 learners. These results are discussed in the context of the informativeness and validity of outcomes derived from GJ tasks, and the ways in which they are presented.

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Longitudinal Developments in Bilingual Second Language Acquisition and First Language Attrition of Speech: The Case of Arnold Schwarzenegger

Languages ◽

10.3390/languages6020061 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 61

Author(s):

Lisa Kornder ◽

Ineke Mennen

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Voice Onset Time ◽

First Language ◽

Onset Time ◽

Speech Development ◽

Dynamic Interactions ◽

First Language Attrition ◽

Second Formant ◽

L1 And L2

The purpose of this investigation was to trace first (L1) and second language (L2) segmental speech development in the Austrian German–English late bilingual Arnold Schwarzenegger over a period of 40 years, which makes it the first study to examine a bilingual’s speech development over several decades in both their languages. To this end, acoustic measurements of voice onset time (VOT) durations of word-initial plosives (Study 1) and formant frequencies of the first and second formant of Austrian German and English monophthongs (Study 2) were conducted using speech samples collected from broadcast interviews. The results of Study 1 showed a merging of Schwarzenegger’s German and English voiceless plosives in his late productions as manifested in a significant lengthening of VOT duration in his German plosives, and a shortening of VOT duration in his English plosives, closer to L1 production norms. Similar findings were evidenced in Study 2, revealing that some of Schwarzenegger’s L1 and L2 vowel categories had moved closer together in the course of L2 immersion. These findings suggest that both a bilingual’s first and second language accent is likely to develop and reorganize over time due to dynamic interactions between the first and second language system.

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Perceived foreign accent in first language attrition and second language acquisition: The impact of age of acquisition and bilingualism—ERRATUM

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716413000015 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 417-417 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

HOLGER HOPP ◽

MONIKA S. SCHMID

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Open Access ◽

First Language ◽

Age Of Acquisition ◽

Foreign Accent ◽

Language Attrition ◽

First Language Attrition ◽

The Impact

The open access copyright line contained within this page was not included in the original FirstView article or the print article contained within this issue. We sincerely regret these errors and any problems they may have caused.

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The relevance of first language attrition to theories of bilingual development

Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism ◽

10.1075/lab.17058.sch ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 637-667 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

Monika S. Schmid ◽

Barbara Köpke

Keyword(s):

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Native Language ◽

First Language ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

The Other ◽

Language Attrition ◽

Theoretical Frameworks ◽

Theoretical Approaches ◽

First Language Attrition ◽

Bilingual Development

Abstract Research on second language acquisition and bilingual development strongly suggests that when a previously monolingual speaker becomes multilingual, the different languages do not exist in isolation: they are closely linked, dependent on each other, and there is constant interaction between these different knowledge systems. Theoretical frameworks of bilingual development acknowledge this insofar as they usually draw heavily on evidence of how the native language influences subsequent languages, and how and to what degree this influence can eventually be overcome. The fact that such crosslinguistic transfer is not a one-way street, and that the native language is similarly influenced by later learned languages, on the other hand, is often disregarded. We review the evidence on how later learned languages can re-shape the L1 in the immediate and the longer term and demonstrate how such phenomena may be used to inform, challenge and validate theoretical approaches of bilingual development.

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